1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an articulated magnetized toy and more particularly to a versatile toy that is suitable for preschool children.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The increased emphasis upon safety standards in the toy industry has resulted in the production of toy items wherein sharp edges, dangerous paints and chemicals and sharp wires and fasteners have been eliminated. Frequently, the attempt to redesign old toys or to design new toys that meet these safety standards results in a less attractive toy with limited play options.
The problem of child safety is particularly acute with preschool children. With children of this age, it is necessary not only to accommodate the above safety problems, but the individual component parts of any toy should be large enough to prevent ingestion by the child. Further complicating the design requirements for the toy designer is the fact that children between the ages of 2 to 6 have a limited attention span and that while toys must be correspondingly simple, they should be extremely versatile to provide a large number of play options to keep the child's interest.
Various examples of magnetized structures in the toy industry can be found in the Gordon U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,155, Younkers U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,388 and Satoh U.S. Pat. No. 4,038,775. The prior art is still seeking to optimize safe and versatile toys, particularly for younger children.